Howdy,

I'm going to be painting my house next month and I'd like to collect some opinions on the best paint type. I've always used latex paint in the past because of the convenience and it always seemed to work well enough to me but now I'm wondering if maybe an oil based paint would provide better sealing/waterproofing and durability?

Should one even use an oil paint over surfaces previously painted with latex?

={(Oak)-

-- Live Oak (oneliveoak@yahoo.com), September 06, 2001

Answers

We've always had great luck with latex semi-gloss on the body and gloss on the trim. Our house was painted over 21 years ago and still looks terrific. The front is painted brick and is in super shape because it was properly prepared. To me the most important things to make it last so long are to carefully scrape and prime the bads spots, scrub it well with TSP and bleach, and wash it annually. We use scrub brushes on the clapboards and a sponge gently on the brick. I'd love to change the color (Wedgewood Blue with white trim) but the clapboards are in such great shape that it would be an unnecessary waste of time, work and $$ so I'll live with it. Maybe for another 21 years!

The house across the street was just professionally painted but never washed beforehand. I'll be watching to see how long it lasts.

-- Sandy Davis (smd2@netzero.net), September 06, 2001.

Stick with the latex. I've used good sears weatherbeater on my house and it still looks good after 15 years. We live in Buffalo NY and the winters get very bad. With good prep I've never had a problem with latex. In my house painting days, I never found oil based products to be any better than latex.

-- Paul (treewizard@buffalo.com), September 06, 2001.

Both paints work equally well depending on the situation. If you have had good luck with latex stick with it. Latex paint has improved over the years to the point where it is used much more than oil in most residential applications. Latex paint does contain oil, modified soybean. but it is water soluble. That means you can clean up with soap and water. Normally if you were to put oil paint on top of latex it would peel over time. The advantage of latex is that it "breathes" which means that any moisture trapped under the paint can get out, whereas with oil if you trap moisture the result is peeling or cracking. As far as durability goes latex is probably just as durable as oil. It resists chipping and cracking better than oil because it is slightly flexible. Preparation is more important than the type of paint used. Scraping and washing and priming so the new paint will adhere correctly is the priority. If you have any more questions feel free to e-mail me. Good luck with the painting

-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), September 06, 2001.

My reply has to do with the prep and not the paint. Two years ago, when I repainted my house I discovered a labor saving wonder called the carbide blade scraper. If I said carbide blades make scraping old paint from fascia and trim ten times easier, I'd probably be understating it. They don't cost that much either. Warner scrapers run about $7 for the handle and one blade and then about $4 for replacement blades. Their edge will also last a lot longer than the steel ones. I can't stress using these enough. I've even taken to given them as stocking stuffers for my do-it-yourself kin folks and friends.

-- Steve in So. WI (alpine1@prodigy.net), September 06, 2001.

I have painted several houses two of which had paint jobs over 30 years old. Quality wise oil and latex are interchangeable. Just buy the best you can afford like Sherwin Williams or Pratt and Lambert - the binders and pigments are higher quality resulting in better coverage, finish and longevity. Thorough preparation is the key too.

The advice I received from professionals and other DIYs was to go with oil primer and latex topcoat for all trim and siding. Oil primer binds to a top coat better than latex primer. As a toap coat, oil continues to dry over time and becomes increasingly brittle and less flexible through its life. Latex will eventually deteriorate of course but once dried it is stable and remains flexible longer. And of course it almost goes without saying - you can paint latex over oil but never paint oil over latex for the above reason. Yes - my latex over oil paint job of 6 years ago is still going strong even in the city.

-- David L (owlhouse2@cs.com), September 06, 2001.

Now I am confused. I tried to paint latex over (very old) oil based, and it wouldn't stick at all. Peeled off in no time. Some of it I redid with latex after having to peel and scrape, and I finally gave in and did some of the wood work in oil(much more expensive, by the way, and will about put you out with the smell...It does look pretty on.)..I'm definitely with sticking with the latex if it works.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), September 06, 2001.

I had a neighbor once who was I guess what you would call a professional painter. He did restoration of old historic churches and other historic buildings. I remember him telling me that you can paint oil over latex, but not the other way around. Also, the June 2001 issue of Consumer Reports tested and rated interior and exterior paints. Hope this helps.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), September 06, 2001.

Latex paints will allow the wood to breath easier than the oil based paints, so that any moisture is not held in the wood. OAK

-- OAK (StrugglingOak@aol.com), September 06, 2001.

Listen to David. He knows what he is talking about.

Surface prep is a good part of the battle. Make sure the surface is clean and dry. I prefer oil primer (Sherwin A100 exterior) for bare wood and Sherwin exterior latex Superpaint as a final topcoat. I painted my pre 1900 Victorian cottage seven years ago and it looks just as good today as it did when I applied it.

Please remember that the old rule, 'you get what you pay for' really does apply to paint. Buy good stuff. Sherwin paints are my favorite, but many paints will do. Expect to pay $25 or more a gallon for top grade stuff. It is worth it though, in the quality of your work, ease of application, and longevity of the paint. I would suspect that your investment in your house is worth it too. Just figure the cost difference in cheap discount store paint and good paint, often is less than a couple of hundred dollars. It will be money well spent.

Finally, here is a secret that not many professional painters will tell you. Buy very good brushes. Buy only Wooster or Purdy brushes, and learn to use them and clean them; they will last the rest of your life if taken care of properly. Aside from quality paint, a Wooster brush or roller cover is the best investment you can make. You can buy these at a good paint store, and expect to pay $12 for a 2" brush, and $16-20 for a 3 or 4". They will hold a lot of paint, will apply paint well, won't drip like a Walmart brush, and will give you a tool to use to 'cut in' like the pros.

-- clove (clovis97@Yahoo.com), September 06, 2001.